Max: King of the Wild Things
by badriddance
Summary: Max's thinks on the best way to handle the Boys and their tagalongs while keeping his secret safe.


Written for the 31days livejournal. The theme for that day was "wild children". Somehow I came up with this.

They needed a mother. That much was clear. He had been able to manage them, but just barely. Max squinted into the headlights until he could make out the silhouettes of the boys behind them. The motorcycles circled, the boys whooped like jackals.

What was he going to do with them? David was obedient, to a point. He had to throw his own weight around a little to enforce the group. That was all right. To a point. He was playing his part, and doing it well.

Marco wasn't any real trouble. He was like a little bird, all bright eyes and flashy plumage over a small, light-boned frame. He obeyed David as he was meant to, and he did it with the good humor of the pack omega. Even now, when they thought they were scaring a cranky old man, Marco hung back with a little smile that was enjoying itself too much to be entirely apologetic.

Paul was the loudest of the boys. He circled the closest, mouth wide open in a gaping snarl, his blond hair whipping back. He looked more goofy than threatening, like a lion that didn't realize it was wearing a bell around its neck. Max would've laughed, but he had a part to play as well.

Dwayne was another story. He watched more than he talked. Where Paul roared and showed his teeth, Dwayne absorbed. They said still waters ran deep, and that was true of him, especially the eyes. Max made eye contact with the dark-haired boy as he circled and was impressed with the calm predatory stare.

The girl clinging to David's back wouldn't even look at him. She hid her face in David's coat. He had wondered about bringing her in. It could go either way, he had thought at the time. She could set them all against each other and tear the family apart, or she could become the mother figure, even as young as she was, like Wendy had been. _Which makes me Captain Hook_, he thought, chuckling to himself, _if it turned out that Hook was actually Pan's father. _

He sighed. The girl hadn't done any of those things. She didn't have the spine to lay claim to any of the boys, as mother or temptress. She wasn't even much of a sister, except to the very youngest one. She was more of a pet. They kept her because she was cute and nice to hold, fed her and took her for rides. She was entirely too tame to be any use as she was. Perhaps that would change when she did. Or maybe she was just outnumbered. A mother would be good for her, too.

And the child. Max hadn't known quite what to do when Dwayne had brought the little boy into the group. If it had been Paul, he would've said no. Paul had a mean streak. Max wasn't sure he could be trusted to babysit a child. Even a half-child. But in the end, Max had allowed it. Dwayne was quieter and more sincere than the others. For whatever reason he had wanted the boy, he seemed willing to take care of him.

_And it would be nice to always have a child, _Max thought. _One that didn't grow up and turn surly._ He regretted that thought almost at once. His David was a good boy. He kept the secrets he was trusted with. He did as he was told.

The motorcycles swerved to a stop around him. They surrounded him, eyes burning hungrily behind the headlights. David was facing him. David was the only one who knew. _How lonely he must be_, Max thought, meeting his son's gaze. _As lonely as I am. _

The rest of the pack waited for their leader's signal. David and Max stood silent, staring each other down. _If I'm not careful, _Max thought. _He **will** challenge me one day, and I'll have to hurt him. It will break my heart, but it will have to be done. My poor boy. All my poor boys. They need more. They need a mother. _

"Not so brave now are you?" Paul suddenly sneered, unable to bear the wait. David shot him a look that silenced him. That meant Max didn't have to. Good. For now.

"We go where we want. We do what we want," David said, turning back to Max. "Santa Carla belongs to us." There was another long moment of burning eye contact, then David turned his motorcycle away and tore off into the night. Dwayne followed at once. A look of mixed disappointment and disbelief twisted Paul's face, but he snarled at Max for good measure and followed them too. Marco gave him a mocking salute before he also left.

Max was left in the dark with only the silly bat kite. He glanced at the toy and then watched the headlights disappearing into the dark.

_And you, _he added silently, his eyes suddenly as starved as theirs had been. _Belong to me. _


End file.
